Of Nightmares and Wings
by Golden-Neko-Of-Doom
Summary: Teito becomes intrigued in a book that was given to him by Frau. After having a disconcerting dream involving the Bishop, Teito is forced to realise how much he thinks about him. Meanwhile, Frau discovers just what happens when you comfort an upset teen.
1. Chapter One

**PLEASE READ!!  
**

Just thought I'd tell you that this is my first 07 Ghost story so.... If it's a bit crap I apologise.

This story contain's **Shounen Ai**. Which to those who don't know means **Boy Love.** So all those who find that offensive or just don't like it general, _**please don't say i didn't warn you**. Press the back button while you can._

**We all know I don't own 07 ghost. It belongs to it's respective owners. If I did own it... *Evil cackle* Lets just say that there would be a lot more "love" in the story! ^.^**

* * *

Of Nightmares and Wings

As Teito lay wrapped in the warm, scratchy bed of the room he and his mentor (Ha!) were currently staying in, his mind was in turmoil. His vivid emerald green eyes stared ahead towards a small chest of drawers that happened to be in the direction of his gaze, sharp but unseeing and burning with as much intensity as the young slave turned Bishop's apprentice could muster. Heaving a sigh of dissatisfaction, Teito directed his gaze towards his right, his green orbs landing on the other, empty, bed in the room.

Frau had wasted almost no time at all in leaving the room once they arrived. Calmly as ever, he had strode into the room, swinging the bag containing all that they had packed over his shoulder and onto the rough, carpeted floor before turning to Teito.

"I'm going out for an hour or so," the tall man had stated, glancing down at the small teen as he rearranged his jacket, "Don't wait up for me ok brat? A sleepy and complaining little runt is the last thing I want to deal with while try to lay low." Teito's head shot up with a glare, his eyes meeting the unusual and exceedingly amused eyes of his mentor.

"Where are you going? To buy more porn?" the teen couldn't resist biting out, feeling irritated at the fact that his ire seemed to amuse the older man further. Clergy or not, Frau couldn't be farther from what, in Teito's mind, a member of the legendary 07 Ghosts or a Bishop for that matter, should act. He was the exact opposite of what a man of the church should be. He was loud, owned a large number of adult magazines, although Teito expected there to be many more hidden elsewhere, had a childish temper and flirted constantly any woman who caught his eye. Not to mention that he was excessively arrogant and like nothing better than to treat Teito like a child.

True, Teito considered Frau a friend. That still did not mean that he found his habits any less infuriating. Yet despite all this, the man never failed to come through when he needed him, whether it be a shoulder to cry on, an ear to moan to or aid in a sticky situation brought on either by Frau's lecherous habits or the sudden appearances of their pursuers.

The blonde quirked his lips into a lopsided grin at the teen's statement. Yes statement, for there wasn't another word that could describe the way Teito's disgruntled tone spoke that sentence better. He shot a look at his face and felt a chuckle bubble up in his throat when he noticed the boy wore an expression to match his demeanour. And the kid wondered why Frau insisted on pushing his buttons?

"Honestly brat," he tutted, adding a fake sigh into the mix, "Do you really think a Bishop like me would lower himself to purchase something so base? Give me credit kid." He watched the kid once more and was rewarded with a look of disbelief replacing his former expression. Really, the kid pulled the most adorable faces when he wanted to.

"I will when I think you deserve it," growled Teito, his green eyes narrowing. As if to further punctuate his statement, he gave the bag a sharp tap with his foot, knocking it of balance so that it rocked to the side and eventually overturned, spilling out its contents for the world to see. Wrinkling his nose in distaste, Teito bent down to pick up a book between two fingers, only to have said article snatched from his hands before he could reach it.

Frau quickly stuffed the book into a pocket hidden inside the jacket, his face only betraying his embarrassment by a slight colouring of his cheeks. "Fine, fine point taken," he muttered, walking towards the door, ruffling Teito's ebony hair as he passed. "I'm just going out to keep an eye on things. Get to bed. We still have a long way to go before we reach Seele. And that's _without_ the Army stopping us at every turn." He stopped at the doorway briefly, glancing over his shoulder, "you know, for a brat you really do like to cause a fuss wherever you go."

"It's not like I ask for it," muttered Teito, crossing his arms, "all I want is to get to Seele, recover my memories and-"

"Yeah, yeah I know. 'Take my revenge on Ayanami for Mikage's death.' Am I right?" He sniggered as the teen huffed moodily, crossing his arms over his chest. "You know, with the way you talk about the kid, anyone would think you were gay." He looked at Teito with a critical eye, pretending to analyse him. "You do look like the perfect Uke. So what's your preference? Red-heads? Brunettes?" His face split into a cheeky grin as he leaned forward to whisper, "Blondes?" He sidled up to Teito and poked him playfully in the side, "I wonder if you even have a small crush on me."

"Don't you have something better to do rather than questioning my sexuality!?" growled Teito, blushing a beetroot red as he shoved the immature man away, "It's none of your business whether or not I prefer men to women."

Frau merely grinned even wider in answer as he re-adjusted his jacket and turned to leave. Teito really was too easy to wind up. Upon reaching the door, he tossed something over his shoulder in the teen's general direction with a smirk, "A little bedtime story for you brat."

Teito dodged away from the book, not daring to look at its cover due to past experience. "Pervert!" he hissed for good measure as the door swung closed, deep, muffled laughter creeping though the crack underneath as the Bishop walked away. Out of curiosity, Teito looked down at the book's front cover, grudgingly giving Frau the benefit of the doubt.

His eyes widened and a blush spread upon his cheeks as he saw a pair of handsome young men embracing on the cover, the first being a petite young man with large eyes and dark hair, the other an elegant looking blonde with a sharply defined face and gigantic pure white wings that were wrapped almost lovingly around the smaller young man. It was very obviously a Yaoi novel. He eyed the image for a moment, noting with a slight growl that the younger man looked slightly like himself.

_Damn that guy and his jokes, _he inwardly cursed, his curiosity peaked by the uncanny resemblance as he reached a tentative arm towards the book and turned it over, his vivid green eyes reading the synopsis on the back. For a few moments the room was silent as he took in the words, his eyes darting from paragraph to paragraph as he read.

_Within My Wings_.

_This is the story of a young warrior on a journey to discover the true owner of a voice that was gently guiding him from afar and an outcast angel, exiled from his home as punishment for breaking the biggest taboo in his homeland. To fall in love with a human._

_One thousand years ago, the country of Caspiria, home of warriors and the beautiful cloud ensconced citadel of Angelis, home of the winged ones, were at war. For over a hundred years the two races fought battle after bloody battle, unable to settle their differences. Many were killed during these black years as the feud continued until one day a truce was made. In order for them all to live without bloodshed, it was decreed that contact between the two races should be prohibited. For a thousand years the truce was kept and an era of peace fell upon the two races._

_But peace was not the way for the people of Caspiria who were battle hungry by nature. They continued to fight with their neighbours, eventually forgetting about the floating kingdom, dismissing its people as whimsical fancies and children's stories. One such person was the young warrior Tienel, who scoffed at the very mention of Angelis and the winged ones._

_That is until one day, during a siege upon a fortress, he was thrown by some unknown force out of the path of an arrow headed straight from his hear, a silken voice calling out his name in alarm. Shaken, he looked to where he had once stood just in time to see the hazy form of a winged young man disappear._

_It actually doesn't seem too bad…_ he thought warily, flipping open the book itself to continue, _a little cheesy perhaps but then again, this is Frau's book_. Settling down into his quilt, Teito continued to read, being drawn more and more into the story as it progressed.

He read the story of how the angel had first seen the warrior by accident as he was gazing into an enchanted pool. For days he returned to waters to gaze into their depths as Tienel fought for his life in the battles, content to just observe until one day he saw an archer take aim at the young man's chest from a hidden perch. On impulse he had taken flight from the clouds, crying out the warrior's name while taking advantage of his speed to push Tienel aside, the arrow piercing his wing in his stead.

Teito read one chapter one to chapter nine, thoroughly enjoying the story until he reached the part where the two lovers finally met. Giving a squeak that was an amusing mix between shock and disgust; Teito shrank back from the book and directed another dark glare at the door, not caring whether or not Frau could see it, his face stained a deep crimson. He could hardly believe a book that had been so well written could suddenly turn into something so… He shuddered, not even wanting to continue that thought. Why the hell did Frau, a guy with a weakness for the feminine body, even own this book?!

That had been roughly three hours ago, if the timepiece on the wall was any indication and Teito wasn't feeling sleepy in the slightest, his mind dwelling on the last chapter he had read. Earlier he had curled up for a while in the thick scratchy quilts of his bed and closed his eyes, groaning in irritation as it continued to bug him. He lay for almost an hour with his eyes shut tight, trying anything that might help him nod off.

He tried imagining a peaceful place. Like the church fountain, with Mikage sat grinning at its edge. He imagined sitting with his back to the low wall, listening to the water do its merry circuit from the top of the formation to the bowl at the bottom, his best friend chattering away about the newest thing that had caught his eye.

Suddenly the dream changed, throwing him into a dimly lit dungeon, shackles connect his ankles like the ones he wore in the army prison. Movement beside him caught his ear, a slight shuffling followed by a groan of pain. He whipped his head around sharply, seeing Mikage sat upright against the wall; head face down upon his chest while his hair blond hair obscured his face.

"Mikage?!" Teito cried, darting across the room as fast as the heavy chains would let him, "Mikage are you ok?!" he reached towards his friend's back in order to help him up as the blond let out another groan, wrapping his arm around his shoulders briefly before releasing them with a gasp of shock.

Connected to his shoulder blades, a pair of enormous battered looking white wings were folded uncomfortably against the muscular back, glistening red in places where feathers were missing and small wounds marred their flesh. Teito looked away from the feathers, his eyes wide with surprise, "Mikage?" he whispered, staring at his friend.

"No…" gasped a familiar deeper voice, coughing painfully, his head raising slowly to gaze resolutely at Teito with electric blue eyes that the teen would have recognised anywhere. Teito fell backwards in alarm, feeling himself return to consciousness with a bang. _Why did Mikage turn into Frau?!_ He thought, frowning.

Teito shook his head briefly in an attempt to clear it, and laid back down to try again. Many attempts and similar scenarios later, it finally sunk in that he was not going to be getting any sleep any time soon and with a snarl of irritation, he cursed the name of a certain Bishop that was plaguing his sub-conscious as he waited for sleep once more.

* * *

Later that night, the door creaked open slowly as a dark form tiptoed into the threshold. Stealthily, the man crept forward, taking care in his step so that the rooms other occupant would not wake up. _Tonight's patrol was damn exhausting_, thought Frau as he crept closer to his destination, shedding his coat on the way. _That green eyed brat is a bloody Kor-magnet _He continued forward, muttering darkly under his breath as he reached the adjacent bathroom.

There had been four Kor waiting for him when he had gotten outside. Four. Two of which were hovering more or less in the vicinity of this Inn. The blonde glared at the tiles of the bathroom as he peeled off his clothes, revealing the rippling muscles underneath. The Kor hadn't been too much of a challenge, but even a 07 Ghost would be feeling exhausted after such a night. He pouted into the mirror before climbing in the shower. There hadn't even been any hot women.

After a long, wonderful shower, Frau pulled himself reluctantly out of its warm downpour, grabbing a small fluffy towel to wrap around his mid-section. After brushing his teeth and relieving himself, he meandered out of the bathroom only to stop mid yawn at the doorway. Frau couldn't help but feel a dark aura fixed upon him. Crackling and flaring with hostility the moment the blonde Ghost had ventured into the room.

A small voice cleared its throat, causing him to peer through the dark room in search of its source. As it cleared again he turned in its direction, narrow electric blue eyes meeting large infuriated emerald green ones. Frau blinked, rubbed his eyes then looked at the kid again. Yup, he was still angry…and awake. Damn he held a grudge… "Look brat, if it's about the gay comment, I'm-" he started, only to be cut off by the narrowing of Teito's eyes.

"It's not about the comment." The teen coldly stated, his eyes boring into the bishop, "You just woke me up with your failed attempt at sneaking around. Not to mention you threw a vulgar book at me earlier!" Frau sighed, moving to perch himself on the edge of his bed so that he could reply in comfort, drying his hair with a second towel as he did so. "Kid, you sleep like a rock. If you had really been sleeping I doubt even Verloren himself would be able to wake you up. And besides," he reached towards the book, still left on the page Teito last read, "You must have like the book to have read it this far."

"I'm not a kid," Grumbled Teito, pulling the quilt slightly higher so that it reached his chin, "The book was good until I reached that part." He glanced back at Frau and noticed his lack of dress, "You shouldn't wander around in just a towel. You'll catch you're death of cold." The bishop looked at the teen's pouting face, an amused smile, "Brat, You should know by now that I'm already dead. Why do you care anyway? Are you actually attracted to me?" Teito glared, not appreciating Frau's arrogant grin one bit.

"I'm not into guys." Sniffed Teito indignantly after a brief staring match, hiding his head away from his companion to hide the slightly pink colouring that now painted his cheeks. Frau spotted the blush and laughed quietly to himself. "That's a lie brat and we both know it," he retorted, throwing his towel at the pile of blankets that were currently Teito. "God you're so annoying,." came the muffled reply as Teito buried his head in the quilts.

Frau's eyes narrowed at this. He glared at Teito, pouting slightly. "I'm not annoying," he griped childishly, "I just speak my mind you damn brat!"

"That's annoying in my book." snarled the pile of blankets named Teito, a large green eye peering from beneath his haven. He ducked back as Frau's arm shot out, throwing a porn book in retaliation.

The blonde glared at the blankets, feeling his patience wearing thin. He was tired after all. "Fine," He yawned, standing up to stretch his limbs, "I give up. Night kid." He walked towards his bag, ducking a poorly thrown pillow with a grin. He pulled on a pair of pants before leaning down to grab it and jumped into his own bed, adding the stolen article to his own set. "Are you that desperate for kiss brat?" asked Frau, chuckling as he peered over the at Teito's bed, "Cuz you ought to know by bow that I'm straight."

"HELL NO!" Snarled the teen vehemently, darting out of his blankets to glare at the laughing blonde.

"You do realise you're not getting that pillow back, right?" Frau smirk increased as Teito growled angrily before rolling to face the opposite direction. _He's such a girl…._

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_

* * *

_

"Nnnnn….." groaned Teito as he twisted and turned in his bed, his eyes clamped tight shut in an attempt to block out whatever was plaguing him "… n…no… Please…" _he was in the place where he had said goodbye to his best friend. The blonde boy was stood away from him, his eyes pained as he tried to keep his distance, fighting against Ayanami's wishes. Teito's eyes widened as he saw the essence that was Mikage fade from his friend's body once again. He leapt forward in an attempt to keep him there only to fall right through his body._

"No…Mikage!" he whispered, reaching in his sleep to where Mikage was supposed to be.

_The image blurred red. Contracting and stretching before changing completely, bringing him to a new location altogether. He was near a church as a child, looking up at the Father as he walked towards him, smiling his warm smile that never failed to lift his spirits. Teito reached towards him, his small fingers outstretch to grasp his guardians when the world faded in a red haze, only to be replaced by a group of people stood around a bloody corpse _

_He looked up from the body, tears streaking down his cheek as the man responsible grinned down at him, silver hair blowing in the breeze beneath the standard issue army cap. Chief Ayanami._

"_Teito…" he crooned, glancing down at the heartbroken boy as he bent to caress the hair of the body. "D…Don't touch him…" whimpered Teito, suddenly finding himself too weak to move. Ayanami smiled, "why do you insist on evading me…." He asked, still stroking the body's light hair, "surely by now you have realised to consequences on those who help you…"_

"_Mikage…" he played with a strand of hair, "Father Kruez…" he plucked the strand and examined it. Teito stretched his arms forward, feeling his muscles protests at the strain and started to pull himself forward. "S..stop..."_

"_So many special people Teito Klein..." continued the army chief, now directing his gaze at the struggling boy. "And still you run…" A cruel smile split his androgynous face, causing a shudder to crawl its icy way down Teito's spine." Perhaps another demonstration is in order…." _

_Teito reached forward to stop him as Ayanami reached towards the corpse, turning it to face the teen, "Maybe now you'll make the right decision." The voice faded away, leaving Teito staring at the revealed face of the corpse that had once been Father Kruez, feeling his mouth go dry and his throat contract painfully as he took in its features._

_Blonde locks that had once been silky and spiked now lay lank across a face as white as chalk, the odd strands dripping with crimson liquid. Thin eyes stared blandly ahead, the colour dull and lifeless while the mouth was pulled into an arrogant grin, a line of blood dribbling from the edge._

_Teito's mouth fell open in a horrified, heart stopping scream as he realised the identity of the person before him, oozing blood from a wound in the abdomen._

* * *

Frau awoke abruptly to an ear splitting scream wrenching through the silent night air. As he shot up into a seated position, wide awake, he turned towards where Teito's bed was located to see the boy sat upright, his head in his hands as he continued to howl in some unknown agony. Not wasting anymore time, Frau threw of the blankets from around his waist and swung himself off the bed, striding over to Teito's hunched form.

"Kid?" he asked, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder, slightly unsettled as he continued to scream, "Hey brat, snap out of it ok?" He gave the shoulder a soft shake, frowning when Teito merely shrugged him away. _What the hell is wrong with him?!_ Thought Frau as he noticed the kids dull green eyes staring straight ahead, unseeing, with tears streaking down his petite face.

Once again he reached for the kid's shoulder and once more he was shrugged away. The blonde's eyes narrowed with suspicion. _This isn't a mere nightmare; _he growled mentally, _someone's been messing with his head._ He was jolted back to reality as the wailing continued to climb in pitch, heightening the risk of someone knocking on the door to ask what was happening.

Mentally berating himself for not realising this sooner, he racked his brain for a solution that would silence the teen long enough for him to discover what was wrong. Teito's shoulder twitched convulsively as his face he continued to voice his pain, jolting Frau into making his choice, deciding on a technique Bastien had used on him when he was younger.

Slowly, the bishop lowered himself into a kneeling position just opposite the screaming boy, wincing slightly as the noise pained his ear. With tentative care, Frau reached his arms towards Teito and gathered him into an embrace, making sure not to hurt him while holding him secure enough so that he couldn't escape or lash out. Quietly, he whispered calming nonsense words into the brunette's ears, freeing one of his hands so that he could rub soothing circles on his back.

For a while they stayed like this, the howls and screams slowly fading away to be replaced by the sniffles and gulps of sobbing. Frau continued to rub Teito's back, releasing his hold around the boy's waist slightly as he felt him relax only to notice with a small laugh that somewhere along the lines Teito had snuck his arms around him and was now clinging to his shirt like his life depended on it.

Eventually, even the sobs slowed to a trickle of tears until they also faded from existence, leaving only damp tracks that trailed down the young teens face and a blotchy red discoloration on the kids face. Complete with baleful puffy eyes that gazed up at the bishop with a mixture of embarrassment and apology.

"Feel any better?" he asked quietly, brushing a strand of hair from Teito's face as he pulled back. Teito brushed away the damp tear tracks with the back of his hand, deciding to nod in answer rather than talk, his throat still burning from earlier. Frau regarded him critically for a moment before turning around, leaning his back against the bed while rubbing the bridge of nose with a groan.

"Damn kid," he breathed, peering over his shoulder, "warn me next time if you're going to start screaming like that… I swear, if I wasn't already dead..." Teito looked down, "Sorry…" he mumbled sheepishly, "I just had a… bad dream…"

Frau raised an eyebrow, "_A bad dream? _Kid, it sounded like someone was gutting you from the inside out." Teito's face flushed a little in embarrassment, gaining a little more colour. Frau settled back down, facing ahead.

"Wanna tell me about it?" he asked quietly, staring at the door. Teito glanced towards the bishop's head, his eyes fixed on the blonde spikes, his throat clenched as he remembered parts of the dream.

_Blonde locks that had once been silky and spiked now lay lank across a face as white as chalk, the odd strands dripping with crimson liquid. Thin eyes stared blandly ahead, the colour dull and lifeless while the mouth was pulled into an arrogant grin, a line of blood dribbling from the edge._

"Kid?" Frau asked again, once more looking over his shoulder, "Hey brat! Are you listen-!" his sentence was cut short as a bundle of brown hair and emerald green eyes flung itself at him. Cerulean orbs widening in shock, Frau instinctively lifted up his arms to catch the teen, falling backwards to land on the floor with Teito on top.

Teito nuzzled his face into Frau's neck, inhaling the elders scent in relief. He didn't know when it had happened, or how in fact. All he knew was that Frau was something he never wanted to lose, the thought of it scaring him more than he had ever been in his life.

Frau blinked in a bewildered fashion, peering down at the brunette that was currently glomping him. _What's gotten into the kid?_ He thought, petting Teito's back lightly for lack of knowing what to do. He felt a shudder as the teen nuzzled his neck, feeling the warm breath against his skin, making his flesh tingle.

"Brat…" he said slowly, his throat suddenly dry, "What are you doing?" Teito didn't answer, only tightening his arms possessively around the bishop. "Kid?" Frau asked again, feeling uncomfortable as the teen made himself at home, "Teito?"

"I'm hugging you," Teito answered finally, closing his eyes as he continued to embrace the confused Ghost. Really, he was beyond happy that his dream wasn't reality. Of course that didn't mean that it couldn't become so in the future. The teen yawned quietly as he pondered on this. I_ guess I'll just have to follow him everywhere,_ he thought sleepily, _for his own protection…_

"Yeah, I get that," answered Frau sarcastically, "What I want to know is why? What do you think I am? A teddy bear?!" Silence met that question as Teito's breathing evened out. "Kid? You had better not have fallen asleep on me." He looked down at his chest and smothered a groan of disbelief at Teito peacefully slumbering expression. _Great… _he thought sourly, as Teito tightened his vice like grip around his neck,_ I've been upgraded from teddy bear to pillow…_

He glared down at the teen and unclasped his arms around his waist in an attempt to move him. Teito's eyes narrowed at the action, a small whimper to emerging from his lips. Frau stopped moving and looked back down at the brunette helplessly. He honestly didn't want to wake the kid up. _Bloody brat looks peacefull again now. _He thought, shifting slightly in order to get comfortable.

He regarded Teito carefully, feeling the protective grip he had around his neck and sighed. "I guess I can sleep on the ground for tonight," he whispered, raising a hand to stroke Teito's hair as he slept, _Damn brat owes me big time for this… _He reached over to where his coat was on the floor; thanking his luck stars it was so close and spread the thin material over the both of them.

With a last sigh, he wrapped his arms around Teito, feeling the petit waist rise an fall as the teen breathed. His lips quirked into a smile as Teito began nuzzling again; almost as though he knew Frau had given in. _I hope you're ready kid, _thought the blonde as he drifted off, still clasping Teito in his arms, _because I'm DEFFINITLY getting the story out of you tomorrow._


	2. Chapter Two

**PLEASE READ!!  
**

This story contain's **Shounen Ai**. Which to those who don't know means **Boy Love.** So all those who find that offensive or just don't like it general, _**please don't say i didn't warn you**. Press the back button while you can._

**We all know I don't own 07 ghost. It belongs to it's respective owners. If I did... *Chuckles manicly while giving Frau and Teito a pointed look***

O.o Wow... I never realised I'd get such a reaction -.-''  
_**Thank you****!!!**_ to all those who reviewed. To you and all those who requested a second chapter, this one is for you!!

* * *

As the sun rose steadily and a small beam of light crept through a gap in the dark curtains, a small body shifted uncomfortably in its sleep. Blinking his eyes groggily, Teito turned over, silently cursing the sun for its early rising, the birds for the loud noise they were making outside and most of all, his bed, for the fact that it was rock hard and seemed to be somehow holding him in a tight embrace.

Teito grumbled wearily at this and settled down again, pulling the dark coat back over his body. _Wait…_ he thought, his eyes flitting open, _Coat? Hard bed? A bed hugging me?!_ He blinked bemusedly and looked down, noting the tanned arms that were locked around his waist. At the same time, his captor heaved a sleepy sigh in his ear, sending a strange tickling sensation down his neck that would have made him want to giggle if he wasn't so unnerved.

Teito started wriggling in order to free himself from the blonde's grasp, feeling slightly panicked. Why were he and Frau asleep on the floor? Better yet, why were he and Frau asleep on the floor _together?!_ Frau heaved aloud sigh and tightened his grip, earning a small squeak of indignation from the teen. "Go back to sleep kid…" he mumbled into his ear, sending those odd shiver down his skin again, "It's too early."

Teito stopped moving as the bishop's breathing evened out once more and memories of the previous night returned. The pervy book, _which I should probably burn later…_ he added as an afterthought. The odd book induced dream, _in which Frau was the angel…_ The strange conversion he had with Frau the previous night and last but not least, _shudder, _the nightmare.

On impulse, Teito reached over to touch the arms around his waist, feeling the now ice cold flesh beneath his fingers. He remembered how Frau had told him that his skin is only warm for an hour or so after he showers or bathes. The muscles under Frau's icy skin twitched, a strange huffed breath emerging from the blonde's lips. _It sounded almost like a…_

Teito blinked for a moment. He had found Frau's weakness. A mischievous glaze took hold of the youths face as an idea made its way into his still sleepy head. Without warning, he ran his hands down the length of Frau's arm, wriggling his fingers as he went.

It took mere seconds for the elder to jolt awake and less than that to relinquish his grip around the teen's waist and dart away into a safe distance, eying the youth warily. "So…" Teito commented, pulling himself up from the ground and dusting himself off, "You're ticklish."

Frau's eyes darkened threateningly, "That was a dirty trick." Teito shrugged impassively, "It worked didn't it? Besides, it's pay back for the book last night." The bishop looked confused for a moment. _Book? What b-_ his eyes widened as comprehension dawned the narrowed into indignation, "I thought you weren't sore about that!"

"I never said anything of the sort!" retorted Teito as he walked towards the bathroom. He was almost there when a blur shot past him, disorientating him momentarily. He stood there dazed for a moment before the sound of a door shutting and a lock sliding home struck his ears. "HEY!!" He yelled, hammering on the door as Frau hooted with laughter, "I was here first!!"

Innocent humming answered his complaints, soon followed by the sound of running water. Teito hammered for a few moments longer before giving up, walking over to his bed to sulk. _That idiot had better not use all the hot water…_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Frau looked ahead as the two companions continued on their journey to Seele, his face sour and self-pitying as an angry purple bruise the shape of a foot made its self known on its right side. He glanced hesitantly behind him, extremely aware of the burning green gaze that was attempting to sear a hole into his back.

"I said I was sorry didn't I?" he pleaded, cringing a little inside (Not that he'd admit it) as the gaze darkened. "I'm not listening to you," Teito answered moodily, looking resolutely away from the bishop, still seething from the embarrassing incident that happened earlier, his ever present guardian, the pink Fyulong dragon, Mikage, glaring at the bishop from his perch on the teen's shoulder.

When Frau had finally relinquished the bathroom to Teito, the teen was horrified to discover that he had indeed used all the warm water. Uttering every curse word he had learnt in his days at the academy, Teito had climbed into the ice cold shower, his teeth chattering as the spray hit his skin. He didn't stay in there any longer than necessary and upon turning off the shower; he stepped out of the basin.

Tentatively, he placed one foot on the tiled floor, feeling the slightly wet ground beneath his toes but deeming it safe enough to step upon. He then moved his other leg away from the basin and placed it upon the floor, briefly feeling something hard and slippery beneath his foot before he was suddenly hurled forward with a shriek.

"Waaah!!" he yelled, flailing his arms madly in a futile attempt to steady himself as he slid across the bathroom floor, "Fra-au He-lp me!!!" The door slammed open instantly and an indignant head poked its way in, its unruly spikes even more so than usual. "What the hell do you want, ya damn brat?" he griped before he saw Teito's plight, looking just in time to catch the teen make a final terrified squawk, legs flying into the air and land unceremoniously in a heap on the floor.

For a long while nothing was heard except the low groans of pain from Teito as he massaged his now aching backside, Frau stood in the doorway, his eyes locked onto the boy in front of him. Then his shoulders began to shake, gently at first then increasing in intensity, accompanied by a deep laugh that slowly grew in volume. Eventually the shaking became too much and Frau threw his head back, howling with laughter.

"That –hahaha- was graceful- heheheheh!!" he sniggered, barely able to string together a sentence such was his amusement. Teito glared up at the man, his eyes darkening while his face instantly began to glow with embarrassment. "Stop laughing!" he demanded, grabbing a nearby towel in order to regain some dignity. Frau ignored him, now doubled over with his mirth. "You-mwahahah- should have seen your face!!" he hooted, "and that landing….CLASSIC!!"

The brunette's face darkened. "Frau…" Teito said warningly, his eyes narrowing. "Yeah?" asked the blonde as he looked up only to come face to face with a small, delicate but surprisingly painfull foot.

Frau winced at the memory and rubbed his jaw, only to wince again as it continued to throb. Damn that brat had a mean kick. He flexed his jaw tentatively, hissing slightly with pain. Teito watched him intently, his eyes holding a hint of guilt.

"Does it still hurt?" he asked, earning a sidelong reproachful look from the bishop, along with an answering, "What the hell do you think you damn brat?!" _He's so childish!_ Thought Teito angrily as the bishop continued to sulk. "Good," he retorted, marching ahead of his whimpering friend, "maybe next time you'll help me up." He scrunched his eyes slightly as his backside twinged painfully. He was sure there was one hell of a bruise there but he was no where near a mirror to check and he'd be damned before he _ever_ asked Frau to check for him.

"Oh come on kid, I would have got around to it!" pleaded the bishop before his face took on a crafty grin, "eventually."

"Do you want me to kick you again?!" Teito ground out through gritted teeth.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!!"

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_Grooooowl..._ Frau cocked an eyebrow as the miniature roar of Teito's stomach reached his ears over the hum of the hawkzile. He had been hearing that sound for the last hour and a half and still the kid wasn't saying anything. _Grooowl! _ Teito squirmed in his perch on the back of the hawkzile at that one but kept silent. _I don't know if I could stand listening to that anymore,_ Frau inwardly groaned, his own stomach beginning to realise it's emptiness. He looked ahead as he sped through the town, his eyes searching until they landed on what he was looking for. _Aha!_

He made a beeline towards the restaurant and pulled over, clambering nimbly off the hawkzile. Teito looked at him in surprise that instantly faded into irritation, "What are you doing? Shouldn't we be making as much time as we can?"

"Yeah," replied Frau, walking away from the bird, "Only it's very hard to drive with your insides imitating an engine." As Frau had predicted would happen, Teito did not appreciate that comment in the slightest. "I…I'm not hungry!!" he protested, crossing his arms stubbornly, refusing to even get off the Hawkzile. Frau grunted slightly in answer and continued walked inside, knowing full well that the teen would follow.

Upon entering he took a deep breath as the delicious aroma of countless delicacies wafted before his nose. Practically salivating, he headed to where a young woman was stood waiting, her clothes smart and neat and a wide, toothy smile on her face as she greeted the priest.

"Good evening sir." She smiled wider and bowed, allowing Frau an appreciative eyeful of her impressive cleavage through the open collar of her shirt, "How may I help you?" The bishop's face split into what he hoped was a dashing smile and leaned on the counter, "How about a date for starters?" He winked suggestively at the woman, his smile widening to a grin as she returned the gesture, her lips quirking into a flirtatious smirk. _Score!_

_Wham! _"Frau, this is no time to be flirting!" Growled an irate Teito, brandishing his fist above the now throbbing head of the bishop, "let's eat and get going before it gets dark out." Frau looked from the fuming teenager to the busty waitress and noticed with a groan of disappointment that she seemed no longer interested. "A table for two…" he muttered forlornly, following behind her with a slouch as she led them to a table.

Sitting down, he watched as she left, his eyes following the swaying of her hips before he wrenched them away, glaring sourly at the brown haired teen sat before him. He opened his mouth to complain but was silenced as Teito beat him to the punch, "If you're going to moan at me about that waitress, think again. I'm not interested."

Frau huffed indignantly and slumped in his chair, glaring at the menu in front of him. _Note to self, _he thought sourly, as the waitress reappeared before him to take their order, her behaviour decidedly cold compared to earlier, _Never pick up chicks when moody teenagers are near._ He ordered a random dish from the menu and returned to his slump, feeling more than a little frustrated. Was he ever going to get laid during this trip?!

Teito eyed Frau with distaste as the elder continued to pout, still extremely irritated at the display he had walked in on. _How dare he try to pick on women while we're on an important mission, _his mind snarled angrily, _especially women as fake as her! _ He glared after the waitress momentarily then looked towards Frau, noticing the bishop's electric blue eyes were fixed on the woman's well rounded backside. _That does it! _He lashed out his foot, catching Frau painfully in the shin.

The blonde grunted in pain, and looked towards the teen, his eyes watering. "What the hell was that for, you damn brat?!" he whimpered, caressing his leg. The runt really had it in for him today. Teito looked in the opposite direction, facing the deep plum coloured wall of the restaurant. _What the fuck is his problem?!_ Thought the bishop angrily, snatching the food from the busty waitress's hands the moment it had arrived, earning a cold glare which he ignored in favour of staring agitatedly at Teito while biting with ferocious vigour into a small morsel of food.

Teito picked at his food, inwardly berating himself at his reaction and the way in which Frau seemed truly angry. _Why did I do that?_ He mused, nibbling at a piece of food as he thought; _He hadn't done anything wrong…_ He shook his head, remembering the hungry gleam that was in the bishop's eyes as he was watching that woman. _Ok,_ he amended, _so he did deserve it. But why did it make me so angry when the woman seemed to reciprocate his advances. _

He took another bite out of his meal and frowned in thought. When he had walked into the building and seen Frau leaning against the desk, a burning emotion close to hate and twice as bitter had surged up inside him, directed, not at Frau, but at the object of his interest. He had felt his limbs quivering with rage as she bowed, deliberately showing her chest. The last straw had been when she had returned Frau's wink, making him nearly want to leap over there and scratch that offending eye out for even daring to flirt with _his _mentor.

_Mine?! _Teito stopped eating at this thought, his face frozen with shock as his mind finally identified the emotion. He was jealous. _What is more, _Teito thought with a nervous gulp as he looked towards the still fuming blonde, _I'm jealous over Frau._ As if sensing the intense gaze fixed upon him, Frau looked up with a glare, a little bit of sauce trickling slightly down the side of his mouth which Teito's eyes proceeded to follow before he managed to direct them towards the wall again, a bright pink hue staining his cheeks. _Guess that answers that one…_

Frau stared at Teito suspiciously, unconsciously flicking out his tongue to capture the renegade sauce before returning to his meal, still observing the teen's odd behaviour from the corner of his eye. Teito shuddered, having glanced towards Frau at the wrong moment, catching the sight of his tongue darting out momentarily to claim the sauce before disappearing again.

_What's happening to me?!_ He thought, offering a piece of bread to the pink dragon on his shoulder, his eyes lingering just a little too long on Frau's lips, earning yet another suspicious but also confused look from the blonde, _I can't keep my eyes off him!_ He moved his attention to the meal and tried to focus it there; almost letting loose a small whimper of despair as he discovered that he no longer had an appetite.

His eyes flicked unbidden towards Frau once more, his body jolting with shock as they met intense blue ones. "Kid…" started the bishop in a low voice, his tone edgy, "you've been staring at me on and off for the last five minutes. Out with whatever new grudge or complaint you against me already. It's creepy and it's putting me off my food." As if to further press his point, Frau pushed aside his half empty plate.

Teito blanched. "I…I was just thinking," he stuttered, mentally beating himself for the stammer. "About what?" Frau asked, narrowing his eyes as he stared across the table at his companion. Teito felt trapped by the elder's eyes and hurriedly wracked his brain for something, anything that would dissuade Frau from continuing that subject. "I was thinking…about…" he paused for a moment then his eyes brightened as he thought of something, "about what I should feed Mikage, He looks hungry." He gazed at Frau tentatively, willing him to take the bait so that he would be off the hook and free to decipher his new found obsession with the blonde alone.

"About the Fyulong?" Frau repeated sceptically, raising an eyebrow as he observed the twitchiness of the teen, "Didn't you give him a piece of your food just now, damn brat?" Teito inwardly swore, he'd forgotten about that. "I need to give him something else besides a scrap of bread."

"Is that so?" queried the blonde, feeling his ire abate rapidly, quickly being replaced by a crafty smirk as Teito got more nervous, "Then why were you looking at me so much? Am I that strikingly good looking you just can't tear your eyes away?" _Thank you Frau!_ Sang Teito's head as his nervousness washed away, his features taking on a semblance of irritation. "You wish!" he spat, taking on an affronted air, "I was just wondering why you can't seem to stop being a letch whenever you see a woman."

Frau opened his mouth then shut it, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, _good question…_ he thought, _although I'm not more worried about the fact that I'm not as angry as I should be… I wonder why? _Of course he already knew the answer; he was just not ready to admit it, his mind rebelling at the very idea of it.

Teito watched Frau's awkward silence, feeling the corners of his lips quirk into a grin. Frau glowered at the teen and stood up from the table, not liking the youth's smug look one bit. With lengthy strides, he walked to wards the desk and paid for their meal, knowing without looking that Teito was still gloating over his silence. _The damn brat!_

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A few hours and many miles of driving later, Frau and Teito finally decided to call it a night. As the brunette yawned loudly from behind, Frau was pensive during to walk to their shared room, his hands clasping a small piece of paper hidden in depths of his pocket.

As usual when visiting a church, Frau and Teito had inserted their badges into the bishop's post box. Teito had squealed with delight when a long lengthy letter from his fellow apprentice, Hakuren Oak, had appeared from the slot. Frau watched as the teen excitedly wrote back a lengthy reply before inserting his own pass, shutting his eyes with a defeated grimace as the usual amount of complaint's and orders piled out from the box.

Frau picked through the papers gathered at his feet and read them with a bored air, tossing a majority aside until he recognised Labrador's writing. With a perplexed frown, he perused the document, his brows knotting together even more as he read.

_I know that you're probably wondering why I'm sending you a message like this. I've been feeling uneasy for a while now, as though we've been overlooking something in our hurry to keep Teito out of the armies clutches. The thing is Frau, we have. Or more accurately, I have. _

_Last night I had a nightmare, only it wasn't mine. It was Teito's. Ayanami failed to break Teito by killing Mikage, now he's trying to break him mentally with further promises of harm to those he cares for. I don't know how he's doing it but it has to be stopped before he manages to break Teito down._

_Frau, do you remember what I said about never letting go of Teito's hand? Those words mean more now than ever before. No matter what, don't relinquish your grip for a second, because if you do… Teito will most certainly fall into the dark claw that Ayanami is extending towards him. Keep an eye on him and for Kami's sake, make sure that he doesn't persuade Teito into leaving in order to protect you._

Frau's hands trembled as he read, his icy blue eyes wide with shock. Why did Labrador feel the need to remind him of his promise? He looked towards Teito before returning his gaze to the sheet of paper in his hands, feeling a wave of worry wash over his being. _Ayanami's attacking Teito in his sleep?, _he thought, swiftly pocketing the paper before Teito could get a good look at it and announcing that he was tired and wanted to go to bed, _How?!_

He looked over his shoulder at the sleepy teen, glazed bleary eyes returning his concerned gaze with a bemused blink, his expression almost irresistibly adorable, making Frau find it difficult to resist the urge to scoop the dark haired teen into his arms and cradle him there, safe and protected against his chest like he was last night. _Whoa there Frau,_ he thought to himself, stopping that train of thought, tearing his gaze away from Teito's, _don't get ahead of yourself because of a pair of unbelievably cute eyes staring up at you_.

Shaking his head to clear it, Frau opened the door with his pass and let them in, barely able to smother a small laugh as Teito gave a groan of happiness before diving into one of the fluffy beds in the room, smothering his face into one of the plump, downy pillows._ At least one of us isn't concerned_, thought the Bishop wryly as he walked in at a slower pace and sat down on the opposite bed, his eyes cast downward as he tried to think of someway to broach the subject of Teito's dream.

Teito looked up from his pillows when he heard him sit down, his large eyes containing a worried expression as he observed the bishop's continued silence. They stayed like that for a few long moments, Frau locked in his own thoughts and Teito staring at him, growing increasingly worried as the time went on.

"Frau?" he asked tentatively, unable to listen to the silence any longer, "What's the matter? Why are you so quiet?" Blue eyes looked up to meet his, a torn expression in the elder's face as he scrutinized the teen. "Frau?" Teito repeated, feeling his gut twist unpleasantly.

"Teito, I need you to tell me what you dreamt last night." Came the reply in a voice so low it was almost inaudible. The teen stared at the blonde for a moment before he pulled himself into a seated position, staying silent. Frau continued to stare at Teito, his expression so serious it made the brunette squirm under his scrutiny.

"It was just a nightmare," he murmured, wrapping his arms around himself at the thought of it, "a particularly nasty one. There's nothing more to say on the matter." He looked pointedly away from Frau, unable to continue looking at the concern shown so openly on his face, "It's none of your business anyway."

"It is if it puts you in danger." Countered Frau, "Stop acting like a scorned girl and tell me about it." He paused before continuing, instantly regretting the insult, "It's important that you tell me."

"It was a dumb dream," sighed Teito, cradling his forehead in his hands in exasperation. "A dumb dream doesn't make you scream for a full five minutes Teito." retorted Frau, crossing his arms as he readied himself for the oncoming battle of wills. Teito remained silent, his fingers rubbing against his head.

_Damn brat's gonna fight me on this,_ he thought, glaring at the obstinate teen, _well I'm not going to loose that's for sure._ He stood up slowly and walked forwards in the direction of the bed, sighing in resignation, "Look kid, I'm going to get it out of you one way or another. Either you spill it now and save us both a lot of hassle or I'm going to have to use the collar and I can assure you, I don't want to resort to that anymore than you do."

Teito's eyes widened in horror as his hand shot up to his neck, his fingers brushing against the cool shiny material that encircled his neck. "You wouldn't dare!" he growled dangerously, his green eyes flashing angrily at the approaching blonde. "Are you willing to test that theory?" Frau asked, stopping in front of him. Teito glared up at the older man, his expression smouldering at first with barely pent up anger before it faded into a wide eyed panicked look dripping with anxiety. He was terrified.

Frau waited on bated breath as he watched the teen process his ultimatum. He felt sick inside from even considering using the collar, feeling the knife of guilt plunge further into his chest when Teito had looked up, his expression so vulnerable and frightened it was heartbreaking. Frau stiffened as the urge to scoop Teito into his arm's decended once more, stronger this time, bringing with it the desire to smother the teen's face with kisses until all the pain and fear that was flooding his expressive eyes was chased away for good.

_I can't do this, _thought Frau, backing away as he became aware of his hand stretching out towards the brunette, It's not healthy. It's not right. It's not NORMAL. He edged away from Teito a few more steps, his throat closing as the boy's eyes bored into him, making the urges almost unbearable. "Teito please…" he whispered, tearing his eyes away from the teens only to find he battling to keep them away, _stop…_ He felt the wall against his back and stopped, his eyes flitting helplessly towards the now very startled looking teen, "stop looking at me like that!"


End file.
